Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Washington County(Va.) Fiduciary Records, 1777-1871. Local government records collection, Washington County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

These items came to the Library of Virginia in shipments of court papers from Washington County and Accession Number 33795.

Historical Information

Washington County is the first locality in the United States known to have been named for George Washington. It was formed from Fincastle County in 1776, and a part of Montgomery County was added in 1777.

Created by an act of 1776, court first met on 18 January 1777. Minute books for the periods 1787-1819 and 1821-1837 and many loose papers were lost in a courthouse fire set by Union soldier James Wyatt on 15 December 1864 during the Civil War. Wyatt, who was raised in Washington County, sought revenge for what he claimed was a wrong done against him by a county court judge before the war.

A fiduciary is a confidential and legal relationship which binds one person to act on behalf of another. A fiduciary is also a person who acts as a trustee for another.

Administrators' Bonds and Guardians' Bonds are of bonds that administrators and guardians were required to take out with the justices of the court to guarantee proper execution of their positions. The obligation was made binding by a money guarantee. The bonds show the names of the administrator or guardians and their sureties, the date, amount and condition of the obligation, name of the deceased, and signatures.

An Administrator is a person appointed by the court to manage the assets and liabilities of a person who dies without having written a valid will. An administrator may also be appointed if the testator leaves an incomplete will naming no executor, or if the named executor cannot or will not serve.

A Guardian is a person legally invested to take care of another person, and of the property and rights of that person. The guardians usually were responsible for the estate of underage children who were either orphans or had received a large inheritance.

Scope and Content

Washington County (Va.) Fiduciary Records, 1777-1871 includes Guardians' Bonds, 1780-1871 and Administrators' Bonds, 1777-1799, 1811, 1815. There are two undated Administrators' Bonds, one bond is for William Fork's estate and the other one is for Abraham Wilson's estate.

Arrangement

Chronological

Related Material

Additional Washington County Court Records can be found on microfilm at The Library of Virginia web site. Consult "A Guide to Virginia County and City Records on Microfilm."

Washington County is one of Virginia's Lost Records Localities. Additional Washington County Court Records may be found in the Virginia Lost Records Localities Collection at the Library of Virginia. Search the Lost Records Localities Database found at the Library of Virginia web site.

Index Terms

Corporate Names:

• Washington County (Va.) Circuit Court.

Subjects:

• Bonds--Virginia--Washington County.
• Guardianship--Virginia--Washington County.

Geographical Names:

• Washington County(Va.) -- History.

Genre and Form Terms:

• Administrators-- Virginia -- Washington County.
• Bonds (legal records)-- Virginia -- Washington County.
• Fiduciary records-- Virginia -- Washington County.
• Local government records -- Virginia -- Washington County.

Adjunct Descriptive Data